Gera Head-to-Head Verdict — methodology

The Gera Head-to-Head Verdict compares two UK local authorities on liveability and names the better area for several use-cases. It is a transparent computation over the Gera Liveability Score sub-scores — no figure is estimated or hand-entered.

The five sub-scores

Each area carries five sub-scores (0–100), each derived from a real government dataset and joined on the ONS local-authority code: affordability (house price + Band D council tax), safety (recorded crime), schools (Ofsted Good/Outstanding share), connectivity (Ofcom broadband) and healthcare (NHS GP appointment access). These are the same sub-scores published in the Gera Liveability Index.

The named verdicts and their weights

Each named verdict is a fixed, published blend of the sub-scores. The higher-scoring area wins that verdict; an exact tie is reported as level.

• Overall — the full Gera Liveability Score (GLS).
• Better value — the affordability sub-score (house price + Band D council tax).
• For families — schools (60%) and safety (40%).
• For commuters — broadband connectivity (70%) and affordability (30%).
• For healthcare access — the GP-access sub-score.

For families   = schools × 0.6 + safety × 0.4
For commuters  = connectivity × 0.7 + affordability × 0.3
Better value   = affordability sub-score
Healthcare     = GP-access sub-score
Overall        = the Gera Liveability Score (GLS)

Worked example

Comparing Stoke-on-Trent (GLS 84.5/100) and Southend on Sea (GLS 84.3/100), as of June 2026:

• For families: Stoke-on-Trent = 88.1 × 0.6 + 96 × 0.4 = 91.3; Southend on Sea = 89.3 × 0.6 + 95.9 × 0.4 = 91.9. Winner: Southend on Sea.
• For commuters: Stoke-on-Trent = 79.5 × 0.7 + 72.2 × 0.3 = 77.3; Southend on Sea = 95.4 × 0.7 + 61.1 × 0.3 = 85.1.

Data sources & cadence

Every figure comes from one of the following UK government open datasets, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and re-joined each time a source releases (the verdict is recomputed quarterly; current edition June 2026):

• HM Land Registry — UK House Price Index — HM Land Registry (April 2026).
• MHCLG — Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England — Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (2026-27).
• Ofcom — Connected Nations — Ofcom (July 2024).
• Ofsted — State-funded school inspections and outcomes — Ofsted (31 May 2026).
• Home Office — Police recorded crime open data — Home Office (year ending December 2025).
• NHS England — Appointments in General Practice — NHS England (April 2026).

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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